The Free Version of Airtable continues to be degraded to the point that it now feels more like a trial than a free option. The addition of an annoying pop-up to subscribe is my last straw.
I am not a free user. I've been a fan of Airtable for many years, introduced it to hundreds and interacted with thousands through many different use cases I've created. I'm such a fan that I've talked with everyone from teens to top tier executives in showing them how Airtable could be of use to them. I've created bases for countless people, most of them business owners. As a business owner myself I enjoy what I've been able to do and love showing others what they can do.
I've stopped doing that. The free version of Airtable has become so disagreeable and degraded that I don't feel confident I can do something worthwhile to demonstrate its use.
The last time I really showed Airtable to someone I promised big and failed completely. I bought a couple rats from a breeder and had some quick thoughts on how to make tracking her lineages and sharing rat pictures online easy with Airtable. I asked if she'd like me to put something together and she was enthusiastic to see what I suggested. I failed completely. Linking bases had been disabled in the free version had been removed since the last time I tried it with the free version, and I couldn't find a workaround to make my vision reality. So, I dropped it, and she went with something else. I haven't tried since even though I'm always thinking of ways to make stuff for other people.
Airtable competition isn't where I want it for my use, but it's getting there. From now on, when I want to show someone an idea for a way to make their business smoother, I won't be doing it with Airtable. I'll be showing them the competition and maybe saying that I could do it a little better with a paid Airtable account, but that won't be their introduction to the format.
Please reconsider chasing people away from free accounts. They used to be awesome, now they're terrible. I was a free user for months before I decided to become a paid user, and then a paid user for many years and more importantly, a fan who shared the product with countless others. Just something to consider.
